Street-sweeper.



F. 1). RAPPBLEEI I STREET SWEEPER. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26, 1907.

Patented July 27, 1909.

2 SHEETS -BHEET 1.

F. D. RAPPELEE.

STREET SWEEPER. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26, 1907.

Patented July 27, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

ll ll i| N @w yv I l I ATTORNEYS I TTNTTE STATS PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS DELOS RAPPELEE, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

STREET-SWEEPER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Rumors D. RAPPELEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Street-Sweeper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to street sweepers, and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts, hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a manually operable sweeper of the character indicated which is wheel-mounted, and which carries a pivoted dirt-receptacle and a rotating brush. The parts are so arranged that the brush will deposit the dirt in the receptacle as the sweeper progresses, and the pivotal or vertical movementof the dirt re ceptacle is limited, so that the said receptacle cannot assume a dumping position while the sweeper is in operation; but may have sufficient play or movement to ride over knobs or uneven places in the surface of the street.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the revolving brush may be adjusted vertically, in order to compensate for wear which might occur at the extremities of the surface-engaging members of the said brush.

In the accompanying drawings :ldigure 1 is a side elevation of the street-sweeper. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a dirt-receptacle guidearm and a brush-supporting arm used in the sweeper. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a blade used in the sweeper. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through one of the sides of the dirt-receptacle Fig. 6 is an edge view of a sprocket wheel used in the sweeper.

The sweeper consists of the axle 10, which is supported at its ends upon the wheels 11. The sleeves 12 are attached to the dirt receptacle 13 and receive the axle 10. The dirtreceptacle 13 is in the form of an open-top pan, having a bottom wall 15, side walls 16, and a rear wall 17. The forward edge of the bottom 15 fits within a grooveat the rear edge of knife-blade, 19 said blade having a serrated cutting edge, and being beveled, in order that it may more readily disengage material that may cling to the surface being cleaned. Said blades may have flanges 20,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 26, 1907.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Serial No. 380,964.

when necessary the said receptacle may be tilted up by downward pressure on the cross bar 23 when the sweeper is to be moved from place to place.

Pivoted to the axle 10 are the rear ends of a pair of bars 30, the forward ends of these bars serving as a support forthe shaft 31, that carries a brush 32. At one end of the shaft 31 is secured a sprocket whee 133 that is connected to a sprocket Wheel 34, on the hub of one of the wheels 11 by means of a link belt 35. To the opposite sides of each of the sprocket wheels are secured dished guardplates 36, that are slightly spaced from the sides of the sprocket wheel by rings or washers 37, that pass around the disk-attaching bolts 38. These guards serve to prevent accidental jumping of the sprocket chain from the sprocket wheels. r

The brush comprises a central drum 40, from which project a plurality of pairs of arms 41. Between each pair of arms is ar ranged a metallic clamp 42 and each clamp carries a cleaning strip 43, that is formed of leather, rubber, or other yieldable material. These strips are held in position in the clamps by means of suitable bolts that may be readily detached when it becomes necessary to re new the strips.

In order to hold the revolving brush at proper height with relation to the street surface, the arms 24 of the handle members, are provided with a series of notches 45 arranged for the reception of a locking-pin 46, that projects from the link or bar 30, and when the pin is lo cked in the rack, the brush will be held in a fixed position with relation to the handle-bars 22.

In order to prevent the dirt receptacle 13 from assuming a dumping position while the sweeper is accumulating material, the bars or links 30 are provided with spring-actuated pins 48 which pass through suitable openings in the said bars or links and are arranged to lie transversely across the path of movement of the upper edges of the end walls of the dirtreceptacle 13, but the said pins 48 are normally spaced from the upper edges of the said receptacle, so that the said receptacle may have limited vertical movement or swing between the said pins, and the lugs 25 of the arms 24, whereby the dirt-receptacle .13 may ride over knobs or repair patches in the street surface, and at the same time cannot assume a dum ing position by reason of the interference of the pins 48.

By manually swinging the free ends of the springs 48, so that the pins carried thereby will pass beyond the paths of movement of the edges of the dirt-receptacle 13, the said receptacle may be tilted to dumping position by means of a pull-rod 50. The lower end of the pull-rod 50 is connected, by means of a link 51, to the forward portion of the receptacle 13. The said rod 50 extends up along one of the handle-bars 22, and passes through the swiveled eye 52, attached to the said handle-bar. The top of the rod 50 is "provided with a handle-grip of usual configuration.

At each side of the dirt receptacle 13 is arranged a recess 60, within which is a small roller 61, designed for engagement with the surface to be cleanediand which may serve to slightly elevate the edge of the knife above the level of the surface. The roller is carried by a bracket to which is swiveled an adjustable screw 63 that maybe turned for the puiposeof adjusting the level of the knife.

lie under the dirt-receptacle, said arms having, at their forward edges, notches, brush supporting arms pivotally connected with the axle, lugs carried by the brush-supporting arms for engagement with the notches of the first said arms, a brush mounted for rotation between the brush-supporting arms, means operatively connecting the said brush with one of the supporting wheels, and springs attached to the brush-sup orting arms and carrying pins which norma ly lie transversely across the paths of movement of the edges of the dirt-receptacle and s aced from the same. In testimony that I c aim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS DELOS RAPPELEE. Witnesses JEAN BROWN, E. THOMAS. 

